James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

Will the colonoscopy service be expanded by 2012? I make the observation that this will all be hospital-based. Surely we are missing a golden opportunity to implement this as a community-based service which would achieve two things, namely, it would bring the service closer to patients and it would not allow for the possibility of interference with the symptomatic service because it would be community-based and a separate service. There is absolutely no reason colonoscopies cannot be done in the community.

I understand from speaking to several surgeons that suspected cases of breast cancer receive preferential treatment, in terms of being brought in to be operated on, over established cancers of the bowel and lung and other cancers in women and men. We do not want the same thing to happen with the colonoscopy. Perhaps the Minister will comment on that and on why the screening programme will not be community-based.

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